TWO engineers who set up a business selling machine tools have turned over more than £200,000 in their first six months of trading.

Marc Bowers and Matthew Andrew, both aged 24, set up Mach Machine Tools in Fishponds after spotting a niche in the market for high-quality turret milling machines. Since setting up, the pair have sold 19 of the machines from their site in Clay Hill, each of which sells for just under £11,000. The business was set up out of two other east Bristol companies, the Vigilance Group and Sorted Machine Sales, each of which are run partly run by Marc and Matthew's fathers, David Andrew and Phil Bowers.

The two firms set up a partnership in 2012 to provide a complete machine tools sales, marketing, installation, spares and service solution for the engineering and educational sectors across the UK.

Due to the success of the companies and, a large order book and a long lead time on the milling machine rebuilding side of the business, it was decided that they needed a high-quality range of machine tools to offer as an alternative to the rebuilt models.

Having found a manufacturer in the US with the right build quality, Mach Machine Tools now imports, brands and customises the tools for their customers' requirements.

It also sells a range of smaller drilling, sawing and grinding machines but it is the turret milling machines which are making the biggest impact.

Marc, from Stoke Gifford and Matt, from Chipping Sodbury launched the machine at two exhibitions in the UK this year, including one at Birmingham last month where the company took 11 orders for the machines.

Mr Bowers said: "We were inundated with visitors and enquiries, most of whom were delighted to see the return of what has been a neglected part of the market, namely manual machine tools.

"We've taken ourselves by surprise with how busy we are – things are happening too fast, selling machines before we've even got them in.

"Over the next year we're going to try to bring in a bigger range of machines, like lathes and smaller tools as well, to try to create more of a brand.

"If everything goes to plan we will soon have a number of stocking distributors on-board, giving us improved market coverage and, as a consequence, even greater market share."